Chapter 19: You are falling for her.

Jace

I shouldn’t be angry. That’s the first thing I tell myself. I shouldn’t care who Skye looks at. I shouldn’t care who she smiles at.

And I definitely shouldn’t care that she came all the way to the football field just to watch my brother.

But I do. God, I fucking do.

I slam the football against the ground harder than necessary.

It bounces once. Twice. Then rolls away.

“Jace!” Coach’s voice cuts across the field.

I ignore him. My eyes are still fixed on Skye.

She’s standing near the sideline, staring at Ethan like he’s the only person in the world.

That look on her face… I’ve seen it before.

For years.

Every time Ethan walked into a room, Skye’s eyes followed him. Every time he scored a touchdown, she was the loudest person cheering.

Every time he smiled at her, she looked like he’d handed her the entire fucking universe.

And I hated it. I always told myself I hated it because she was annoying.

Because she followed him around. Because she was always there. Because she was pathetic.

But maybe I was lying to myself. Because now she’s my girlfriend. Fake. I remind myself of that word. Fake.

So why the hell does watching her stare at Ethan feel like someone is twisting a knife beneath my ribs?

“Dude.” Mason’s voice comes from beside me.

I don’t look at him. “What?”

“You’re staring at Skye.”

“I know.”

He lets out a low whistle. “That’s new.”

I finally turn toward him. “Do you have something to say?”

Mason raises both hands. “Nope.”

“Good.”

He walks away.

I look back. Skye is still watching Ethan. Then Ethan laughs. And she watches longingly.

It’s crazy, even after talking to her, she still couldn't leave, she remain standing, watching Ethan talk to Mia.

How long will she keep embarrassing herself? And how long will I keep hoping she will eventually look at me the way she looks at my brother?

Something inside me snaps. I kick the football lying at my feet. It flies across the field.

A few players turn around.

Coach blows his whistle. “Knight!”

I don’t care. I can’t fucking breathe. What the hell did I expect?

That pretending to be her boyfriend would suddenly make her forget Ethan? That one stupid post would erase years of her chasing after my brother?

That she’d look at me the way she looks at him?

Idiot. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. So why does it hurt this much?

Ethan eventually stares at me. He says something to Mia before walking over.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

“You nearly kicked the ball through the goalpost.”

“Maybe I wanted to.”

He stares at me. Then follows my gaze. Skye. His expression changes. “Oh.”

I glare at him. “Don’t.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were about to.”

He folds his arms. “You’re jealous.”

A bitter laugh escapes me. “Of you?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Then why are you looking at her like you want to kill someone?”

I don’t answer. Because he’s right. And I fucking hate that he’s right.

Ethan glances toward Skye again. “She still likes me.”

My jaw clenches. “I know.”

“You knew that before you made her your fake girlfriend.”

“I know.”

“So what’s the problem?”

I stare at him. “The problem is that she’s my girlfriend.”

“Fake girlfriend.”

The words hit a nerve. Something unpleasant twists inside my chest. “Doesn’t matter.”

Ethan’s eyebrows lift. “It matters to you.”

I step closer. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then tell me.”

I have nothing to say. Because what am I supposed to tell him? That I can’t stand watching her look at him?

That I wanted her beside me because I couldn’t stand the idea of everyone else tearing her apart?

That when she agreed to become my fake girlfriend, some stupid part of me thought maybe she’d finally look at me differently?

That when she told me we’d go back to hating each other afterward, something inside me actually fucking hurt?

No. I can’t say any of that. So I shove my hands into my pockets. “She’s not your problem anymore.”

Ethan’s expression hardens. “She was never my problem.”

“Exactly.”

“Then why are you acting like she is yours?”

I look at him. “Because she is.”

Silence falls, the words hang between us. I realize what I’ve said. Ethan realizes it too.

His eyes narrow. “You’re falling for her.”

My stomach drops. “Shut up.”

He doesn’t. “You are.”

“I said shut up.”

“You’re actually—”

“Ethan.” My voice comes out lower this time. Angrier.

He stops. For a moment, neither of us speaks. Then he sighs. “Jace, she’s still in love with me.”

I look toward Skye. She’s talking to Logan now. Her smile is gone. She looks small standing there alone.

Something inside my chest twists again. “I know.”

“Then don’t hurt her.”

I laugh bitterly. “I’m the one she’s hurting.”

Ethan looks at me. I don’t elaborate.

Because how could I explain that every time she looks at him, she reminds me that no matter what I do, I might never be the person she wants?

The whistle blows again. Coach is shouting my name. I turn away from Ethan. “Practice.”

He catches my arm before I can leave. “One more thing.”

I look down at his hand. He releases me. “If you’re going to keep pretending she’s your girlfriend… Don’t start treating her like she’s actually yours.”

I stare at him. Because that’s exactly the problem. I already do. I pull away and walk toward the field.

But my anger follows me.

So does the image of Skye looking at Ethan. And beneath all that anger is something much worse.

Something I don’t want to name.

Because the moment I give it a name, this stops being fake.